howard



G. E. HOWARD APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GL sswARE May 20, 1930. Re. 17,669

Original Filed July 1, 1926 I 4 sheetssheet 1 .JMJ-LTAE H INVENTOR I2255. HOWARD G. E. HOWARD APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GLASSWARE May 20, 1930.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 1, 1926 'INVENTOR GJE. HOWARDAPPARATUS ,Foa HAND-LING GLAsswARE May 20, 1930.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filedqul 1, 1926 I lNVEN T OR I GEORGE E.HOWARD B Y flaw j Reiuued May 20, 1930 GEORGE E. HOWARD, OI BUTLER,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO HARTFORD-EMPIRE COMPANY, 01? HARTFORD,CONNECTICUT, A CORPQRATION OF DELAWARE arrazaa'rns Ion HANDLING emsswannOriginal No. 1,618,680, dated rebr'uary a2, 1921, Serial No. 119,866,filed m 1, 1926. Application for reissue flIedIaI'ch 4, 1930. Serial No.433,183.

My invention relates to the art of handling and heat-treating glassware.

It is customary, after glassware is formed and before it has becomecompletely cooled, to

transfer the ware from the molds to a lehr.-

- a provision of means for, artificially cooling the ware, particularlyheavy ware so that transfer thereof to the lehrineed not be delayed topermit the ware to cool through contact with the atmosphere.

In the case of lighter glassware, there may be too great cooling throughcontact with the atmosphere before the ware enters a lehr, and

1 my invention includes means for either increasing the temperature ofthe ware or preventing it from cooling before it enters the annealingzone in the lehr tunnel.

Furthermore, in the case of heavy ware, the bottom of the Ware may be sosoft as to receive the impression of the lehr conveyor,

particularly when a chain belt conveyor is,

employed, while the lighter ware may become cracked or checked throughContact with the chain belt. I provide means for controlling thetemperature of either light or heavy articlcs, so as to avoid theseobjections.

In some systems, the glassware is removed from the molds to a conveyorand is carried to a point in front of a lehr from whence it istransferred in groups to the lehr belt, each group constituting a row ofware that extends transversely of the lehr, so that the ware will becompactly placed upon the-lehr belt and economy of space secured.

My invention has for an object the provision ofmeans for compensatingfor differences in temperature as between the first article in such arow and the last article placed in said row so that all of such articleswill be properly and uniformly annealed, and also means for maintainingthe articles of a row at a predetermined temperature previous to theirentry into the annealing zone of the lehr.

.may require;

Some of the mechanismsby which my invention may be practiced are shownin the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinalsectionalview of a portion of a lehr, and means for bringing theglassware to the desired temperature previous to its entry into theannealing zone of the lehr, by heating or cooling, as conditions Fig. 2is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, showing a lehr constructionwhereby each of a row of articles that are simultaneously placed upon alehr belt will be subjected to varying temperature conditions within thelehr, to compensate for differences in temperature of the articles whenplaced I upon the lehr conveyor; I

Fig. 3 is a. vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line IIIIII ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line IV'IV ofFig. 1;

- Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a modification of the apparatus of Fig.2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partially in front elevation, oftheapparatus of Fig. 5; i

Fig. 7 is a plan view of still another modification;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a third modification of the apparatus of Fig.2;

Fig. 9 is an end elevational View of a portion of the apparatus of Fig.8, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line X-X of Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, I show a lehr tunnel 12 havingheat-insulating top and bottom walls 13 and 14. A chain belt or otherconveyor 15 is employed to carry the glassware through the lehr. Theconveyor is preferably of open-Work construction. In order to conductair for heating or for cooling the glassware into contact with thebottoms and sides of the articles, the lehr is provided with aperforated apron portion 16 through which the front article of a row ofware 24 reaches the chamber 18- and arranged to force either heated airor cold, air through the perforations in the apron and in the conve or.Electric resistors 20 may be provided or heating the lehr. chamber.

The ware which is to be passed through the lehr may be removed from amold table 21 to a conveyor 22 which carries the were across the frontend of the lehr. A stop 23 limits travelling movement of the ware andwhen the position shown in Fig. 2, a fluid-operated pusher bar 25 isactuated to push a row of articles across a plate 26 to the lehr belt15.

The plate 26 may be inclined to a desired degree, so that its front andrear edges will be in proper alignment with the belt 16 and the conveyor22.

' It will be seen that'as the articles 24 are accumulated gradually onthe conveyor and simultaneously transferred to the lehr belt, thosearticles to the front of the row will become cooler than the articleslater assembled. In order to insure proper and uniform heat treatment ofthe various articles of each row, I cut away a portion of the cover 13,as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the cooler articles of glassware will besubjected to the heat within the lehr previous to the entry of the otherarticles. The lehr belt travels very slowly, and perhaps by steppedmovements, so that by the time the rear'article of a row has enteredbeneath the edge of the cover 13, the

front articles will have been subjected to the heat of the lehr for suchperiod of time that the temperatures thereof will be increased tosubstantially that of the rear article.

Referring now to Fig. 5, I show a lehr which may be constructed insomewhat the same manner as the lehr of Figs. 1 and 2, but wherein thecover 13 is of rectangular form instead of having one corner cut away asin Figs. 1 and 2. In this form of apparatus, a conveyor 22 carries theware from a mold table 21 to the front of the lehr and the rows of wareare pushed from the conveyor to the lehr belt 15 by a pusher bar 25. Theconveyor 22 is disposed diagonally of the lehr and passes beneath onecorner of the cover 13 so that as the articles are advanced by theconveyor, the foremost ones of a row will be first to. enter the lehr,and hence excessive cooling thereof will be prevented. As soon as anumber of articles suflicient to form a row have reached the'lehr, thepusher bar 25 is actuated, so that all of the articles are subjected tothe heat of the lehr substantially as soon as theyfcolne op-' posite tothe pusher bar. The articles are disposed in diagonal rows in the lehr,with the result that the article first to enter the lehr is dischargedtherefrom previous to the discharge of the other articles, and they aretherefore all subjected to substantially the same period of heattreatment in the lehr.

shelf to a desired location in front of the lehr belt 15", by a plunger32 that is connected to a piston 33. Thepiston 33 oper ates in acylinder 34-to which are connected pipes 35, 36, 37 and 38 that, throughsuitable connections (not shown), are made to serve both as fluidpressure inlet and exhaust passages. i

If it is desired to move an article from the left end of the table 30 toa station 40, the pipe 38 is opened to exhaust and pressure is admittedthrough pipe 35 to force the piston to the extreme right of the cylinder34. if

it is desired to move an article to a station 41, the pipe 37 is openedto exhaust and pressure admitted through pipe 35. When the piston 33 haspassed pipe 37, it will come to rest, because the pressure from pipe 35will be exhausted through pipe 37, and will be inefiectivc to advancethe piston further. If it is desired to place an article at station 42the pipe 36 is opened to exhaust and pressure admitted through pipe 35,so that when the piston passes the pipe 36, the pressure from. 35 Wlllbe exhausted. In order to return the plunger 32 to the position shown infull lines in'Fig. 7, pipe 35" is opened to exhaust, and pressure isadmitted through pipe 38, the valves in pipes 36 and 37 being'closed.

Simultaneously with the deposit of an article at station 40, 41 or 42,pressure is admitted to a cylinder 43,44 or 45, as the case ma be, toadvance one of the plungers 46, 47 an 48, and push an article from theshelf 30 to the lehr belt 15. The plungers 46, 47 and 48 are eachconnected to a piston, indicated in dotted lines at 49. The pistons 49are retracted by. fluid pressure admitted through ports at the forwardends of the cylinders 43, 1

44 and 45. WVare is delivered to the stations 40, 41 and 42 in sequenceand theplungers are actuated in rotation.

Actuation of the plungers 46, 47 and 48 in timed relation to themovements of the plunger 33 may be effected through any well-knownarrangement of valve connections for secur mg proper synchronism ofmovement of the plungers by means of a fluid pressure sys- In Figs. 8 to10, I have shown still another arrangement whereby articles of.glassware which are conveyed to the front of the lehr in sequence may besubjected to such temperature conditions that they will all be ofsubstantially uniform temperature when placed within the lehr. Theglassware formed in molds upon a mold table 50 is transferred to of a.lehr 12. As the foremost articles 52 of" a row are completed and placedupon the a conveyor 51, to be transported to the front conveyor-51inadvance of articles 53 farther to the rear, I provide burners 54 forpreventing the bottles 52 from becoming too cold. It will be seen thatthe foremost bottle 52 will be subjected to flames from all of theburners 54, since it is exposed to atmospheric conditions for a longerperiod of time than those bottles to the rear thereof. The nextsucceeding bottle 52 is exposed for a shorter period of time and istherefore subjected to flames from only three of the burners 54, and soon.

As to the bottles 53, such a short period of time elapses between theirremoval from the mold and their entry into the lehr; that it I isnecessary to reduce their temperature, and

for this through w ich a blast of cold air is supplied. The number ofcooling jets and the amount of air supplied to each may be varied tosuit conditions.

When a row of bottles 5253 has reached a position in front of the lehr12, a fluid- 0 rated pusher bar 56 is actuated to push ti l bottles fromthe conveyor 51 and from beneath the heat-retaining hood 57 to theconveyor belt 15;

Variations may be made in the construction shown herein, withoutdeparting from my invention asset forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: v

1. Apparatus for handling and heat treating glassware, comprising alehr, a lehr conveyor, and means for alternatively heating or coolingthe ware placed on said conveyor, previous to subjecting said ware toheat treatment within the lehr.

2. Apparatus for handling and heat treating lassware, comprising a lehr,a rforatek? lehr conveyor belt, and means or directing a current of airthrough said belt from a point beneath the same, to bring the ware tothe desired temperature previous to subjection thereof to heat treatmentwithin the lehr.

3. Apparatus for handling and heat treating glassware, comprising alehr, a perfo- J rated lehr'conveyor belt, and means beneath said belt,at a point in advance of the-entrance to the lehr, for changing thetempera ture of the ware. I

4. Apparatus for handling and heat treat: ing lassware, comprising alehr, a perforateflehr conveyor belt, and means beneath said belt, at aint in advance of the entrance to the le r,-for controlling thetemperature of the ware. '5. The combination with a lehr and means forassembling rows of partially cooled ware for heat treatment within thelehr, of means for transferring the rows. to the Q lehr, and

means for subjecting the articles composing movement. of sai urpose Iprovide et pipes 55.

a row to var ing degrees of temperature, to

for assembling rows of partially cooled ware for heat treatment withinthe lehr, of means for transferring the rows to the lehr, and means forsubjecting the articles composing a row to var mg degrees oftemperature, to compensate or differences in temperature as between thevarious articles of a given row, the said means comprising a relativearrangement oflehr conveyor and assembling means such that the articlesat the forward end of a row are brought under-the influence of the heatwithin the lehr in advance of the articles further to the rear of saidrow:

7. The combination with a lehr and means for assembling art iallycooledglass articles one-by-one to orm rows extending transversely of thelehr, of means for subjecting each article of a row to a differenttemperature condition than other articles, to compensate for differencesin period of time required'to assemble and transfer the various articlesof a given row.

8. The combinatin with a glass forming apparatus, of conveyor mechanismfor receiving articles, one-by-one from said apparatus, means fortransferring said articles in groups from the conveyor to the lehr, andmeans for maintaining the various articles of each group atsubstantially uniform relative temperatures during the period of travel-:from the forming apparatus to the lehr.

9. The combination with a glass forming apparatus and a lehr, of meansfor delivermg articles one-by-one from the forming ap paratus, and meansfor effecting transfer of each article of a row to the lehr atsubstantially the same temperature as the other articles of said 'row.

- 1 0. The combination with a lehr, of mechanism for assemblingpartially cooled lass articles in rows disposed transversely o the lehrand means for simultaneously transferring the articles of a given row tothe lehr, the lehr having a cover portion whose forward edge is inclinedin a direction transversely of the lehr.

11. The combination with a lehr and a conve or for carrying rows ofpartially cooled glass articles to the oint ad acent to the entranceend, of the le r, means .for simultaneously transferring the articles ofa row from the conveyor to the lehr, the conve or and the forward edgeofthe lehr being relatively inclined, so that those articles towardthe'front of a row are subjected to the heat of the lehr in advance ofthe rearmost articles'in said 'row. 12. The method of heat treatingglassware, which comprises depositing a glassarticle, while hot, liipona conveyor previous to iced? the article to heat while so deposited, andt ere'after causing the conveyor to carry it into the lehr.

13. The method of heat-treating glassware, which camprises depositing aglass article, while hot, u on a conveyor previous to movement of saiconveyor into a lehr, subjecting the article to .a tem rature differentthan that of, the surroun ing atmosphere, and thereafter causing theconveyor to carry the article into the lehr.

14. The method of heat-treating glass- I ware,'which comprisesassembling glass articles, one-by-one, placing a group of said articlessimultaneously in a transverse row upon a conveyor, moving said conveyorthrough a lehr tunnel, and causing certain of the articles ofsaid row totravel a different distance within the tunnel than the distance traveledby other articles composing the row.

15. The method of heat-treating glassware, which comprises assemblingglass articles, one-by-one, placing a group-of said "articlessimultaneously in a transverse row and causing each article to travelwithin the,

tunnel a distance proportionate to the time that has elapsed between thefabrication thereof and depositing of the same upon the conveyor. 1

17 The method of heat-treating glassware, which comprises assemblingglass articles, one-by-one, placing a group of said articles in atransverse row u on a conveyor, moving said conveyor ,throug a lehrtunnel, and causing each articlcto remain within the v tunnel for aperiod of time proportionate to the time that has elapsed betwnen thefabrication thereof and depositing of the same upon the conveyor.

18. The method of heat-treating glass} ware, which comprises assemblinga row of articles with respect to a lehr in such manner that part of therow is between the enclosing walls of the lehr and part ot the rowexposed to the surrounding atmosphere, and depositing the articlessimultaneously upon a conveyor for passage through the lehr.

'jware, which comprises assembling a row of articles with respectto alehr in suchmanner that part of therow-is betweenthe en closing walls ofthe lehr and part of the row exposed ,to the surrounding atmosphere, anddepositing the articles simultaneously in upon a conveyor, moving saidconveyor? mace a diagonal position upon a conveyor for passing throughthe lehr.

20. The method of heat-treating lassware,- which com rises conveyinartic es in succession throng a substantial riod of time. from a formingmol d veyor. belt through a e r tunnel, the articlesbeing deposited atpositions spgced transversely of the conveyor belt, but ing disippsed onapproximately a given line exten g substantially transversely of thetunnel.

21. The method of heat-treating glassware, which comprises successivelremovmga serieso-f'articles from a mol placing them upon a collectingconveyor in a .row

transversely of a lehr tunnel,'and'exteriorly of the enclosing walls ofsaid tunnel, andls ubjecting the articles to'heat treatment whileoutside of said lehr walls, so as to maintain 'them at a substantiallyuniform temperature and thereafter pasing them through the lehr. 22.Apparatus for handlingand heat treati'n thereo comprising an elongatelehr tunne. and a conveyor belt for transporting the were therethrough,and means disposed adjacent to the wage entering'end of said-tunnel foralternatively supplying heatto or abstracting heat from the ware on saidcons veyor belt previous to subjecting the ware to annealingtemperatures within said tunnel, whereby to compensate for varioustemperature conditions existing in the ware whenplaced upon saidconveyor. 7 V

23. Apparatus for handling and heat treating glassware to effect theannealing thereof, comprising an elongate lehr tunnel, an endlessconveyor belt for transportin the Ware therethrough, and means-disposer?adjacent to the ware-entering'end of said tunnel for alternativelysupplying'heat to or abstracting heat ,fromthe ware on said beltprevious to subjecting the ware to annealing temperatures within saidtunnel, said means comprising a chamber'having an upper wall,

over and in contact with-which said belt passes, means for supplyingheat to the interior of said chamber, and means alternatively forpassing a cooling medium through said chamber, whereby to compensate forvarious temperature conditions existing in the ware when placed on saidbelt.

24. Apparatus for handling and heat treatin glass Ware to effect theannealing.

thereo comprising an elongate'lehr tunnel, anendless conveyor belt fortransporting the .v Fware theret'hrough and means dispose ad- 19'Themethod-of heattreatmg glass jacent to the ware-entering end ofsaidtunnel supplylng' heat to or abgiven peto a conreliminary to passagethereof glassware to efiect the annealing,

omthe ware on said belt passes, electric heating elements for supply,-ing heat thereto when desired, a blower, a passage connecting saidblower and said rhamber, and damper means interposed in a said passage,whereby controllable amounts of cooling air may be caused to passthrough said chamber, alternatively to effect heating or cooling of theware on said belt tocompensate for various temperature conditionsexisting in the were when placed thereupon.

25. Apparatus for handling and heat treating glassware to effect theannealing thereof, comprising an elongate lehr tunnel, an endlessconveyor belt for transportin the ware thcrethrough, and means disposedadjacent to the ware-entering end of said tunnel fOr alternativelysupplying heat to or abstracting heat from the ware on saidbelt previousto subjecting the ware to annealing temperatures within said tunnel,said means comprising a chamber disposed at least partially within saidtunnel and havin a wall disposed parallel to the path of said It and inheat transferring relation to glassware 5 thereon, means for supplyingheat to the interior of said chamber when desired, and means foralternatively causing a coolingmedium to pass through said chamber,whereby to compensate for various temperature conditions existing in theware when placed upon said belt. f

Signed at Hartford, Connecticut, this 27th day of February, 1930.

- GEORGE E. HOWARD.

